Hardly a week passes without someone bemoaning, in one form or another, the plight of the elderly (persons 60 years and over). Numerous unfulfilled promises have been made by governments to this group – about 60,000 people; about 8% of the population – that should be seen as being very important in a competitive liberal democratic state. A few months ago, after years of planning but little having been done, we heard that the government was apparently planning afresh! In relation the elderly, I have argued that ‘it is incumbent upon any social group that wishes to safeguard its interest to establish its own independent organisation to mobilise, articulate and struggle for that interest’ (SN: 12/09/2012). But recently, I came upon a discourse that reinforces my belief that, in our ethnic political context, improvements in the condition of the elderly will not be the result of independent group action but will depend upon the benevolence of governments.
In considering the conditions of the elderly, whether or not it is indented to constitute a sort of minimum wage, one of the first concerns is the apparent inadequacy of the old age pension. Compared to the minimum wage, which has increased about 16 fold in the modern democratic period beginning in 1992, old age pension has increased about 80 fold, but this does not mean it is adequate. Furthermore, properly taking care of the elderly involves more than providing a pension, and both the past and present governments know this and have made many national and international commitments that have remained unfulfilled.
Yet, lo and behold, a few months ago, we were told by the director of social services that, ‘The Ministry of Social Protection will be developing a National Policy on Aging, with the aim of achieving the cultural, social and economic reintegration of older persons into the mainstream of society’ (SN: 14/03/2018). It was as if the director had forgotten that only last year his ministry stated that in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation it was in the process of devising a strategic plan to deal with the condition of the elderly, and also that in 2012, as part of an international process, Guyana’s National Report on Aging (GNRA) made commitments, the vast majority of which have not materialised. To refresh our memories, I am again repeating a brief of these.
